Sinfully Right
by TakeHeart
Summary: Oneshot He shouted for her to get out, and to leave him alone. Because he didn't want her to see him in such a pathetic state. Neji x Hinata


_A/N: Yea! A **Neji x Hinata** fic for all the NejiHina fans out there! (Smiles and waves madly)_

I hope I did this pairing justice. This story takes place after the 'super-team' returned, failing to retrieve Sasuke.

revised-I forgot to add something... (knocks head) I'm sorry! There are slight changes... Please read it again! (though I think the ending was a little sappy...)

Disclaimer: Don't own.

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_: Sinfully Right : _

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A soft knock on the door, and she was inside with a light push.

He saw her lips press tightly together, and her eyes scanned the room nervously before settling on him.

She rushed forward to him when she saw him struggling to get up but failing to do so. His body went numb when he lifted his head an inch above the pillow, and he collapsed back onto the soft hospital bed again.

He saw her bringing her hands under him in an attempt to lift him up, and he screamed at her.

He shouted for her to get out, and to leave him alone.

Her lips quivered, and her eyes turned watery. She exited the room after mouthing an apology, with her body shaking and fingers trembling the whole time.

It hurt. So much. The pain was unbearable, and it clawed mercilessly at his flesh.

But the wound wasn't the thing that hurt most. The gnawing pain in his heart; cutting through it like a dull knife, was the one that brought him to his knees and caused him so much anguish.

He was weak. How was he supposed to protect her when he had almost died from a battle with a moronic Sound-nin?

_Protect her?_

The words echoed in his head, sneering back at him in contempt; in mockery.

Who was the one who had rained near-fatal blows on her savagely, desiring for her death?

Who was the one who had sworn to watch over her; ensure her safety, and ended up hating her; with such an acidic animosity?

Neji closed his eyes and buried his head into his hands, writhing in pain as the agony tormented and traumatised him.

He had thought that he wouldn't see her again after his outburst, and yet she came back, day after day without fail, at midnight when she thought that he had slept.

The creaking of the door would arouse him from his sleep, and he would lie there stiffly, straining his ears to make out the faint pattering of footsteps. And he would breath in her alluring lavender scent next, which never fails to ease his nerves; like a soothing balm.

She would then place teabags-the finest kind that she'd smuggled out of the house-onto the table beside him. She always brought two; she knew his addiction for tea, but thought it unhealthy for him to drink more then two cups per day.

Heat would surge from his abdomen at her actions, and envelope him like a warm embrace.

The feeling didn't dissolve when she sat on a chair beside his bed, observing him 'sleep', and watching over him.

And when she finally leaves at two in the morning, the room would feel frigid and lonely again.

He resented himself for wanting her presence and yet pushing her away when she was finally near him. He just could not forgive himself for the fact that he had given her so much misery.

Moreover, he knew that there was something else other then remorse and guilt that he felt for her, and he was afraid to reveal it to them both.

Because he would certainly break if that happened.

But he wanted her to understand that he was sorry for everything that he had done to hurt her, and he needed her forgiveness.

And so, right at this moment, a minute to twelve, he waited, no, longed for her arrival.

His eyes were focused on the door, as if he was ordering it to open with his mind. When it finally did, he heard his blood pumping in his ears with raw anticipation.

He saw her eyes widen in surprise, and the look of apology in them caused him to curse himself silently.

Hinata walked towards the table hurriedly, placed the teabags at the usual spot that she placed them every night, and bade Neji farewell, wishing for his wellness and fast recovery.

But Neji's hand sprung out and caught her arm.

When he saw her turn around and look at him with those silver orbs, he forgot to breathe, and his whole world started revolving around her.

His hand retreated abruptly when he saw the uneasiness evident in her eyes, and clenched his teeth at the memory of his actions.

"Thank you."

The whisper rang throughout the room in the silence of the night, and she could even feel the sincerity in his words.

He saw her smile, that smile that reached out to caress his soul, and his heart thumped madly against his chest. Everything came to a standstill and faded into nothingness. Only both of them remained.

In that fleeting moment, he had a sudden urge to, just felt that he had to...

Crush her to him.

And convince himself that this was for real.

He knew he shouldn't do that; her heart was with another, and they were cousins.

It was a sin for him to feel this way, but no sin had ever felt so right.

Her head rested above his heavily bandaged wound, but it didn't hurt at all. He could feel her shivering slightly, and tightened his arms around her. He marveled at her softness and the warmth that she emitted.

He felt like he had died and gone to heaven when she returned the embrace, although a tiny part in him knew that she was only doing it as a kind gesture; to comfort him.

When he finally released her, her cheeks were scarlet and she was embarrassed, but he only smiled at her.

She returned the smile and then left the room as quietly as she had come.

And as he sighed into the night, his skin still tingling from her touch, blood still humming from that encounter, he finally realised that he needed her.

He lost a part of himself that day... Or perhaps, it wasn't there the whole while; he just didn't know it.

Ever since they were young, ever since their first meeting; where she had peeked out shyly from behind her father, and he had thought that she was cute, he had already, unknowingly, given her his love.

And it stayed there with her ever since, even when he had hated her. It was only because the thin line between love and hatred was blurred, and blinded by anger, he had chosen to hate her.

But a part of him, hidden and buried deep inside his heart, had always loved her with the same amount of intensity.

This realisation filled him with a bittersweet kind of joy.

And he vowed, that he would be a coward no longer. He would have her love, just like how she had stolen his.

The stars above the velvet sky twinkled with promises.

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_: End : _

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